Sentients and Sentinels
by stowe-evermore
Summary: CrossoverAU The Sentinel and Odyssey 5. Neil is kidnapped as bait for a Sentinel. I loved Odyssey 5 and was upset that it was cancelled. This show can be seen right now using On Demand if available


**Sentients**** and Sentinels**

Neil pressed his face further into the pillow as the pounding intensified. The young man groaned as he tried to ignore the noise. "Please go away. I am not in the mood to talk to anyone today." Neil sighed in relief as the pounding suddenly stopped. A creaking from the vicinity of the front door brought the now fully awake young man to his feet.

"Neil?" A familiar female voice wafted up the stairs. "Neil sweetie it's okay. It's Aunt Jenny."

Neil relaxed slightly as he pulled on a pair of jeans and slowly exited his room to meet his Aunt on the stairs. "Aunt Jenny, What are you doing here?" The young man asked hugging his Aunt and caught sight of the uniformed men standing by the door below them. "What's going on?"

"Oh sweetie I am here to take you with me." Jenny Taggart advised her nephew in a matter-of-fact tone. "Let's get your things together okay?"

"What are you talking about?" Neil asked confused that his Aunt seemed to think he would be leaving with her.

"Well..." Jenny started and glanced over her shoulder hesitantly.

The taller of the two men by the front door stepped forward. "Neil I am Davis Hamilton. I am with a department of the child protection services here in town. We received a call from your Aunt and the school about you. We were advised that you appeared to be living on your own."

"Well yeah Dad is out of town." Neil said confused. The young man was not willing to elaborate on his father's whereabouts as he was out with Kurt and Angela hunting a Sentient that had attacked him and Sarah near the park.

"Neil it is alright to tell us what has been happening? The school told us about the bruises and Mark mentioned the tension between you and Chuck the last few months. We are here to help. Now you will be staying with me until the custody hearing." Jenny said moving her hand over Neil's arm to comfort him.

"When did you talk to Mark? Where is he?" Neil asked almost missing the statement about a "Custody hearing? Who are you? Look I am not a child. I'm not going to live with you."

"Please young man, do not make this more difficult than it already is." Hamilton said as he grabbed Neil's arm. Neil studied the man carefully for a minute sure that he had no connections military or otherwise with child services.

Neil pulled his arm free of the man's grasp just as his cell phone rang. The young man quickly answered the call before Hamilton could stop him. "Dad?"

"Neil what's going on? Are you okay?" Chuck asked immediately hearing his son's distressed tone.

"Aunt Jenny is here with some 'child protection people'. They say I have to leave with them and stay with Aunt Jenny until there is a custody hearing." Neil said backing further up the stairs away from the people invading his home.

"WHAT? What the hell is going on? Stay put do not leave with them. Kurt and I are on the way. Shoot them if you have to." Chuck said angered that his sister would try to do something so foolish.

"Dad I think I'm in serious trouble here. I don't think that you will get here in time." Neil whispered quickly into the phone.

"Neil, we will be there in...Neil? Neil?" Chuck's voice faded from Neil's hearing as the second of the two men stepped forward and started to forcibly remove Neil from the house. Hamilton pried the phone from the boy's clenched hand.

"Dad!" Neil yelled. "Let go of me." The boy brought his elbow back into the man's ribs for emphasis.

The second man glanced to Hamilton for help as Neil fought to get free. Hamilton stepped outside and waved to a third man who quickly entered the house with a syringe. "It's okay this is Doctor Delari he is just administering a sedative." Hamilton said to comfort Neil's now distraught Aunt. The doctor carefully moved closer to the angry youth. Neil kicked out catching the doctor in the knee just as the man depressed the syringes plunger into his upper arm.

Hamilton smiled as the young man fought the sedative and slowly succumbed to the drug. "Gaishen, please take the young man and his Aunt to the hospital to document anything that may give a clue to the abuse he may have suffered." The second man nodded and carried the now unconscious body to the car. "Thank you for your assistance Doctor." The Doctor and Hamilton followed Gaishen and Jenny to the cars.

Chuck Taggart was seething. Jenny had gone too far. She had been threatening to take Neil since Paige's death. "Damnit!" Chuck breathed as he rounded the corner to see the cars pulling away from his driveway.

"Looks like Neil was unable to keep them there." Kurt Mendel said as he wrote down the license plate number of the last car. "What do you think this is about?"

"My sister and her need to prove she is the better parent. She seems to think that I am incapable of taking care of a self sufficient seventeen-year-old without my wife." Chuck said carefully as he slowed the car enough to be able to follow the kidnappers and keep out of site.

"What are we going to do?" Kurt asked knowing that this was more than the four could handle.

"Call Sarah and Angela I want to know what the hell is going on." Chuck said as he maneuvered the car around another corner. "Damnit they are splitting up."

"The first one is headed to the hospital. I'll have the girls head there follow the other car." Kurt said dialing Angela's cell phone.

Neil lay on the hospital bed listening to the conversation above him careful to keep his body as relaxed as possible. The young man feared the people around him would catch on to his act.

"We need to make sure that he is not sent back to Chuck." Jenny Taggart said above him. Neil could feel the woman's fingers slowly moving through his hair.

"Don't worry sweetheart. We will not allow him to take the boy away." Another unfamiliar voice stated from across the room.

"I am just worried about him Lee. He is so young and lost, then to lose his mother and to have his father abandon him like that." Jenny said removing her hand from the boy's hair.

Neil could hear the door glide open a moment later then another familiar voice. "Excuse me I'm looking for Neil Taggart."

"And you are?" Jenny asked suspiciously she knew that she had seen this woman before.

"Oh I'm sorry. I am Sarah Forbes. I'm heard about your predicament at the news station where I work. It is awful. How could someone abandon their child like that?" Sarah said trying to placate Neil's Aunt into letting her talk to the boy.

The man glared at her as Jenny came around the bed. Neil groaned as if he was just waking from the drug-induced sleep. "Well it is about time someone took notice of this issue. I mean a major figure like Chuck Taggart just leaves a child to fend for himself after the death of his mother. Someone needs to take the man down."

Sarah did not allow the shock she felt to show. She knew that Chuck and his sister did not get along but this woman was crazy. "Exactly would you mind if I interview the young man?"

"Oh no that would be okay. We will wait outside." Jenny said pulling the man after her.

"Neil hi I'm Sarah Forbes. Would you mind answering a few questions?" Sarah said pulling a chair to the bed. She continued on with her questions for a few minutes to make sure that no one was listening. The young woman stood up slowly opened the door only enough to verify the guard was not paying attention and no one else was around. When the room clicked shut she pulled the chair even closer to the bed saying. "Okay what is going on?"

"I don't know. Something about me living with my Aunt because Dad cannot take care of me. The men who came to the house were definitely not from child services though. They were military." Neil said quietly. The young man glanced at the door then let his gaze travel slowly around the room. "Was there a guard at the door?"

"Yeah this is seriously weird. Angela is waiting down the hall hoping to scam some information. We thought she would be recognized since she works with Chuck. I am surprised your Aunt did not recognize me from the funeral." Sarah said taking the young man's hand in hers. "Look I called the station on the way here. This is going to news. The courtroom will be closed since technically you are a minor. I am not sure how this will be played but they are going to try to destroy Chuck with this."

Neil grimaced rubbing his hands over his face. "I know. Look I am not getting out of here without some help or a court decision of some kind. Please check on Dad don't let him do anything stupid"

Sarah smiled. "We are talking about your Father."

"Sarah please he was lost when Mom died and Mark left. I don't want anything to happen this time. I need him to get me out of this. Whatever this is?" Neil pleaded with the news castor.

"Okay I promise." Sarah said seeing how upset the boy was.

The door of the room slammed open suddenly allowing in the man who had left with Jenny. "Who the hell are you?"

"What?" Sarah asked acting confused.

"I know you are not here for the news. So I want to know who sent you." The man moved closer to Sarah only to have his arm grabbed by Neil.

"Leave her alone. Go!" Neil said trying to pull Lee off balance. The man turned toward Neil and brought his arm around Neil's pinning the boy's arm to his side. Lee then turned to face Neil. Neil felt his body being pulled forward but was unable to stop the movement. The young mans arm twisted at an awkward angle. Neil screamed as pain ripped through his damaged arm.

Sarah moved to help the young man only to be pulled away by the guard that had been by the door. "Are you going to help him?" The guard smiled a slimy smile as he removed the struggling woman from the room. Sarah found herself on the floor outside the room. "Neil!" She yelled jumping up to pound on the closed door. Angela appeared at her side a few seconds later.

"We need to go now." Angela said tears apparent in her voice. "We cannot help him from jail."

Sarah turned to see the Angela Bennett's pale face. "They are hurting him."

"Let's call Chuck." Angela led Sarah down the hall to the elevator as Sarah dialed the cell phone.

Neil held his injured arm close to his body watching closely as Lee and the guard discussed what to do with him. "We need to pull out. This kid and the woman were not a part of the plan."

"The plan changed. The sentinel is not here we needed the woman to get the boy. I have taken care of her. Now fix the kids arm and we will be on our way. Did you make sure to alert hospital security about that snooping reporter?" Lee asked the guard. The guard nodded and went to work on the young man's arm setting it with quick precision he wrapped it carefully.

"Lucky for you this was a clean break." The Guard said when he finished setting and wrapping the boy's arm.

"Yes it was lucky for me. To bad it was not so lucky for you." Lee said pulling the silencer from behind him and pulling the trigger. The guard fell to the floor dead blood seeping from the small wound in his forehead. Neil squeaked and scooted back further into the corner.

'I will never get used to people dieing.' Neil thought as he felt Lee pull him to his feet.

"Time to go." Lee yanked Neil forward toward the door. Neil tried to stop his forward momentum by grabbing the bed only to have Lee turn back to him. "I need you alive only to get to the sentinel that does not mean that I will hesitate to cause you or your friend's severe pain."

'Oh shit I am in trouble.' Neil thought. "What the hell is a sentinel?" The young man found his curiosity getting the better of him.

Lee yanked the boy forward down the hall to the near by stairwell as he explained. "A sentinel is a person with five heightened senses. They can hear, see, touch etc better than a normal human. They are believed to be a myth."

Neil felt his heart plummet this was not what he wanted to hear. A super human usually turned out to be sentient. The youth did not want to have to help this man find a sentient. "Your crazy there is no such thing as a super human."

"Funny that you would believe that, how long has it been since you had contact with your brother?" Lee asked the question in a low menacing tone.

Neil was taken aback. Why would this psycho want to know about Mark? "Since my mother died about three and a half months."

Lee pulled the boy closer. "Do not lie to me!" The man shoved Neil through the door to the hospital's underground parking lot. "Now when did he contact you last?"

"I don't remember a few days ago from Nevada I think." Neil lied again. He might not be happy with his brother's decisions but he would not give him up without a fight.

Lee smiled menacingly. The man yanked the boy to his feet leading him to the black SUV in the corner. "I know you are lying but that is not of any consequence. I have contacts who will be of reliable assistance." Neil's breathing became ragged upon seeing the contents of the SUV. Lee pulled the syringe he had prepared from his pocket and injected Neil with the drug. Neil felt the pinch from the needle and succumbed quickly to the drug. Lee smiled while loading the boy into the back with the dead Aunt.

Angela paced near the room that had been assigned to Neil Taggart. Sarah had insisted something was not right and called Chuck then hospital security. Once security had checked her credentials they believed her story about wanting to get the story on Neil. When the women returned to the room with security Neil and the mystery man were gone. The guard lay dead in a pool of blood.

"My god Chuck is going to kill us." Angela said dropping onto the bench seat next to Sarah. "Chuck is looking into Jenny's petition for custody. We were supposed to watch him."

"Angela that man broke Neil's arm when he tried to protect me from him. Something more is going on here than just a custody petition. What would this guy want with Neil?" Sarah asked not expecting a reply.

"What would who want with Neil?" Chuck Taggart asked hearing Sarah's last comment. "What is going on? Where is Neil?"

"We don't know. What we do know is that some guy was with Jenny when we arrived. Sarah talked her way into the room and Jenny came out with said guy. I followed them to the garage. I lost them in the lower floors. But the man returned a few minutes later without Jenny. I followed him back upstairs." Angela said.

Sarah picked up the explanation. "I went in telling them I wanted to do a story about your abandonment of your son. Jenny took the bait and left the other guy did not look happy. Neil said he did not know what was going on. That man came back a few minutes later yelling that I was not who I said I was. He came after me and Neil grabbed him to allow me time to move away. That's when that bastard broke Neil's arm."

"What?" Chuck asked trying not to take his anger out on his crew.

"It gets worse." Angela said standing up and starting to pace again. "When Sarah was thrown out of the room by the guard we went find security. Apparently the guard alerted security that Sarah was your crazed girlfriend. By the time we cleared it up the guard was dead and Neil was gone."

"Damn it Sarah are you okay?" Sarah nodded watching Chuck rub his face in frustration much as his son had done earlier. "Well the petition for custody was filed by my sister Jennifer Brackett and her husband Lee Brackett. The men in the other car disappeared near the base. No sign as to who they are or what they want. I am assuming Lee Brackett is our kidnapper. Kurt is looking him up now. We are not going to find out much from here. Let's get back to Kurt's place and see if we can find a clue as to what the hell is going on?"

An hour later Kurt glanced up from his computer to the knocking at the door. The blond man opened the door to find two upset women and one angry man. "Tell me you have information on the bastard." Chuck said before Kurt could get a word in.

Kurt could hear the fear and anger in the commander's voice. "Yes and it is not good. Where is Neil?"

"That is the question isn't it?" Chuck ground out.

"We think this guy Brackett took him. We just don't know why or where." Angela explained.

"My god we could be in way over our heads on this one." Kurt said leading the others into the living area. Angela and Sarah seated themselves around the table while Chuck stood back waiting. Kurt dropped a folder onto the table. "Is this the man?"

"Yes that's him." Sarah confirmed when Kurt handed her the picture from the folder.

"Jesus." Chuck said scanning the file he had picked up.

"Exactly the man is ex CIA and most of his records have been sealed. This is a small piece that I was able to glean from Cascade Washington papers. This is what he was up to a few years ago." Kurt handed the copies of the files to Angela and Sarah. "He disappeared after this. The Detective who caught up with him was not allowed to give a very in depth interview on the man. The Detective was Jim Ellison. He and his partner Blair Sandburg were involved in capturing the man."

"Do they have anything to do with my son's abduction?" Chuck asked knowing that Kurt would not have brought them up without some kind of connection.

"Well it is a little far fetched but considering what we are dealing with constantly I did not want to let it go. The partner Blair Sandburg wrote a paper on Sentinels. Sentinels are people with five heightened senses. They can see farther, hear better than normal humans. All of the senses are enhanced like this." Kurt said letting the information sink in as he started to pace.

"So you think that these sentinels are sentient." Sarah said carefully trying to catch onto Mendel's train of thought.

Kurt shook his head and continued. "That is what I thought at first but the young man's master thesis spoke of researching people with one or more heightened sense such as taste testers. Sandburg wrote a doctorate about the sentinel Jim Ellison. He claimed the paper to be a fraud on live television."

"I remember that he lost the nomination for the Nobel Peace prize. He was also kicked out of school as a fraud. About a year later he was allowed to return to finish his doctorate with a different dissertation on closed societies." Sarah added remembering the story that she had reported on.

"Correct darling but what is missing is that he is now working for the Police as a consultant in the same department as Ellison. I think the tale of the sentinel is true." Kurt said letting a little of his excitement through.

"But what the hell does this have to do with my kid?" Chuck prodded needing a clear idea of where Kurt was going.

"Ellison and Sandburg were kidnapped by Brackett and forced to break into a high security facility from what I gather this was an amazing feet." Kurt said dropping onto the couch. "I think that he used Sandburg to force Ellison into getting him into the facility."

"Okay I am still not clear as to how my kid is involved?" Chuck said trying not to throttle the scientist.

"Something Neil said in training. He told me that his brother could hear a mouse squeak a mile away and track it through the thickest brush. Now he did not say anything about his other senses but I think Mark has heightened senses. If this Brackett found that out he might be trying to use Neil to get to Mark." Kurt said carefully.

Chuck slid hand over his head a couple of times. "I had forgotten that. I remember it was hell to get the kid to sleep at night when he was little. He used to say the crickets were too loud. I remember once he thought his friend was trying to kill him with a luke warm drink. Mark said it was boiling. He really didn't have to many problems after Neil was born though." Chuck shook his head and paced to the window. "Mark left town just after Paige died. He left town in the original time line about three weeks before that. Neil always blamed Paige and I for Mark leaving. He was more upset about it than he let on."

"Do you know if Neil has had any contact with Mark?" Angela asked certain that Neil would have tried to keep in touch with his brother as he had in the original timeline.

"What do mean?" Chuck asked turning to face the pilot.

Angela glanced at Kurt and Sarah before answering. "In the original timeline Neil received e mails from Mark on an almost daily basis. I know that they called each other once a week. Mark may have disappeared on you and Paige but he didn't leave Neil."

Chuck felt as if he had been blindsided no wonder the kid was still so defensive about Mark. 'That little shit, he knew where his brother was for four years and never said a word.' Chuck thought. "You think he may know where Mark is now?" The others nodded slowly. "Kurt you think you can bust into Neil's computer while we search the little shits room."

Kurt stood slowly. "I can try."

Chuck led the others out of Kurt's apartment toward the car. Angela leaned close to Sarah saying "Good thing we didn't mention Mark crashing at Neil's condo on occasion." Sarah nodded knowing that Neil would not have wanted his father to know about that connection to Mark.

Chuck threw another book down onto the bed. "This room is a disaster. How can he find anything?" Sarah asked watching Chuck pick and shake another book. "Where did Angela go?"

"Right here!" Angela said entering Neil's room with a box. "We have been searching for over an hour and found nothing. So I thought would Neil really be stupid enough to leave incriminating evidence lying around his room."

Sarah heard a chuckle from her commander as Angela opened the box. "Where was it?" Sarah asked.

"I found it in Mark's room under the bed." Angela said returning Chuck's smile. She picked up a couple of the letters and checked the postmark. "This is post marked Washington State."

Sarah opened the earliest letter. "It looks like he retired from the Air Force just before he left. He wrote about moving to Washington and joining the police academy."

"I've got an e mail here with the address of the Cascade Police Department. It looks like he has been corresponding from work at least part of the time. He has had this e mail address for at least two months." Kurt turned away from the computer to face Chuck. "The precinct phone number is listed."

"Great Angela call the airport get Kurt, Sarah and me tickets on the first flight out tonight. This is the best lead we got but I want you to stay here just in case. I'm going to try to give Mark some warning. Kurt I do not want to explain everything over the phone e-mail the fine print details." Chuck said pulling out his cell phone.

The phone was picked up on the third ring. "Cascade PD this is Conner how may I help you?"

"Yeah I'm calling for Mark Taggart?" Chuck said hoping not to have to identify himself. The man did not want Mark to feel that Neil had betrayed him.

"Hold a minute." The woman Conner said. The sounds of a discussion were heard in the background.

A moment past before Chuck heard "Taggart."

"Mark, do not hang up on me. We have a problem." Chuck said quickly hoping that Mark would listen.

"Dad, how did you know to call here?" Mark asked his voice tense.

"Neil has disappeared. He was abducted from the hospital this morning by a man named Lee Brackett." Chuck said his voice tight with emotion.

"What? When? How?" Mark asked trying not to let the fear he felt show.

"Look I had a friend e mail an explanation. We think the abductor is after you or another guy by the name of Jim Ellison." Chuck stated knowing he did not have a lot of time.

"Ellison? What the hell does he have to do with this?" Mark asked glancing up from his desk to meet Ellison's blue eyes.

"It was something about Sentinels. Look I will be there as soon as I can just keep an eye out for Neil he will try to come to you. And watch yourself. I do not want to lose both of you." Chuck said the last statement barely above a whisper.

Mark saw Ellison's face change to cold granite. It seemed to Mark that the man had heard what his father said. Ellison leaned over to Dr. Sandburg who immediately looked to Mark. "Yeah Dad I got it. Call me when you get here? I'll have someone sent to pick you up."

Chuck sighed at least he knew one kid was protected. "Good I'll see you soon. And Mark I'm sorry."

"Me too." Mark said before placing the phone in the cradle.

Chuck turned to Angela who said, "You are on the next flight to Washington. You will be traveling first class. But you need to go now."

Mark swallowed hard knowing he would need to talk to Ellison after reading through the e-mail. "Taggart!" The tall black Captain bellowed a moment after Ellison and Sandburg entered his office. Mark stood slowly and headed to the lion's den, the office of Captain Simon Banks after sending a copy of the e-mail to the Captain. Mark knocked sharply on the door once. "Come."

"Sir you yelled." Mark said entering the office.

Dr. Blair Sandburg stepped forward saying, "We need to discuss something that we should probably have talked to you about before."

"What's that?" Mark asked seeing that the Doctor seemed to be the one to lead the conversation.

"Sentinels are people with five heightened senses." Blair glanced at Jim who smiled encouragingly. Blair launched into a quick explanation of Sentinels. He told Mark what a Sentinel was and what disadvantages there were to being one. He also explained the function of a Guide to a Sentinel before adding, "We know that you are a Sentinel that is why you were paired with Inspector Conner. She is aware of Sentinels and in many cases knows how to help them. We also know that you have a Guide who is not with you."

"So you think I am what bonded Sentinel who is ignoring his Guide?" Mark said careful to understand all that had been said.

"No we think you are a clueless bonded Sentinel. You don't consciously use your senses it is like second nature but you are starting to have trouble right?" Mark nodded to the shorter man not sure where this was going. "You have what is called a spirit guide yours is a rare black tiger. The spirit guide is restless searching for something. It is searching for your human guide." Blair said.

"Okay so what does this have to do with you?" Mark asked trying to get a better lay of the land.

"I am a guide and Jim is my Sentinel. He overheard the name Lee Brackett when you were talking to your father." Blair said excited that Mark was taking the information so well. "Brackett used me and Jim to break into a top secret military base a few years ago. We were able to stop him but being ex CIA he was spirited away."

"Great, now he has my brother and is looking for me." Mark rubbed his forehead with his hands. "Neil would never willingly give up any information about me."

"We would like to help you if you will let us." Ellison said quietly. He heard the younger Detective's heart spike when he found out about his brother. He had also heard the screams of a wounded bird of prey. Jim knew who Mark's guide was even if Mark was clueless.

Blair smiled at the comment he had also heard the bird of prey's cries but could not identify the spirit guide yet. He knew that Mark's guide was close but still too far to get any kind of spiritual connection to. "We should start by having someone monitoring the airport."

"Good idea I will send Rafe and Brown over there to get with security." Simon said for the first time since Mark entered the office. Lee Brackett being back in town and coming after any of Simon's men was not what he wanted to deal with.

"Thank you." Mark said knowing that these people were trying to help him.

"Get out there and get to work. Find me this maniac." Simon said shooing the men out of his office.

Neil awoke for the third time that day. The young man opened his eyes to find himself immersed in near total darkness. He reached out carefully with his good right hand into the dark space as he pushed off the floor. The room around him was spacious and bare. The door when he found it appeared to be a heavy wood not likely to splinter or break easily to allow escape.

Neil sighed moving further around the room looking for a way out. He knew that Brackett more than likely wanted him to attempt an escape and lead him to Mark. Neil however had other plans. First thing he needed to do was get out of his prison, then he would lead Brackett on a merry little chase before giving him the slip to find Mark. The plan was full of holes he knew but it was all he had.

The boy sighed again letting his gaze shift up. Seven feet off the floor in the middle of the back wall was a window. The building beams were perfect for climbing. "Nice!" Neil said aloud. The young man scaled the wall slowly grabbing the miniscule window ledge and thanking NASA for putting him through all of their tests. He pulled back his injured arm; taking a deep breath he slammed it into the window. The window splintered forcing the youth to smash it again. Neil grimaced in pain before pressing his body against the broken window.

The glass fell away taking Neil with it just as the door opened. Neil heard Brackett yelling at him from the window above him. The youth hit the ground hard on his right side knocking the wind out of him. This did not slow him down however. He quickly rose to his knees then his feet and ran as best he could into the near by trees.

Brackett smiled. Neil Taggart would lead him right to the Sentinel. The darkness of the forest at night would slow his progress toward the city. This would be easier than he originally thought. The man let go of the windowsill and flipped the switch on the tracking unit he had in his hand. He frowned suddenly realizing the boy was not headed into the near by city but into the hills. "Damn. Looks like I will have to bring the Sentinel to the Guide."

Brackett removed his satellite phone from his pocket dialing the central Cascade Police Number. "Cascade Police station Officer Kallie Jennings speaking how can I help you?"

"Yes I would like to call in an anonymous tip for Jim Ellison and Mark Taggart. Neil is alone in the mountains and he will not be leaving alive unless someone is willing to join him." Brackett said ending the conversation before a trace could be started.

Neil tripped over an exposed tree root for the third time. The boy's injured arm was on fire from the last fall. He breathed deeply trying not to scream in pain. The drugs still flowing through him were not allowing Neil's mind to clear. "Why the hell did he have to leave Texas? He just had to come to the wettest place he could find. I am going to kill him." Neil slurred trying to clear his mind.

The recent late autumn rains had conspired with the wind against the young man. The rains spread through the forest leaving behind the wet, muddy land below the deep green foliage. The cold wind howled through the trees bringing down further raindrops that had not made it through the forest canopy with the rest of there companions. This combination created an uncomfortable ice-cold environment for the youth that now slowly trudged through the forest interior.

Neil could barely keep his eyes open. He knew he needed to find a warm dry place to curl up and allow the drugs to filter through his system. He was also sure that Brackett had not physically followed him. The young man decided that the man had other means of tracking him. This left Neil with little chose but to strip out of his clothes to locate and destroy the tracking system if he could find it.

A large dark shadow appeared out of the underbrush startling the youth with its silent appearance. The black tiger stared at the shocked young man for a moment before stalking forward. Neil stood frozen to the spot as the large creature moved to stand within inches of him. The cat's mouth opened revealing large, pointed fangs and a long pink tongue. Neil watched fascinated as the tiger began to lick the back of his hand. The tiger carefully closed its mouth over Neil's right wrist then gently pulled the boy back the way it had come.

The young man followed his mind no longer connected enough to feel fear.

The tiger led the boy into a small cave hidden by the thick foliage. Neil dropped to his knees, curling into a ball he let go. The tiger chuffed around the boy's head happily before curling around the young one to offer warmth.

Jim Ellison dropped into his chair letting his body relax a fraction as he scanned the surrounding office with his senses. The tribe rushed around him in a hurry to get home for the evening or get on with investigations. He had been working to find a lead on Brackett for hours along with his guide and fellow Sentinel. Mark was an emotional train wreck though he did not outwardly project the image.

"Here's some coffee Jim." Blair said appearing at Jim's side. The young man looked frazzled but still bounced slightly with repressed energy.

"Thanks Chief." Jim smiled as Blair took the seat next to him.

"Anything new?" Blair asked. Jim shook his head letting his gaze stop on Taggart. Mark's face was ashen. Jim scanned the younger Detective with his senses tensing when he was done. "What's wrong?"

"Taggart?" Jim asked not knowing why the young mans heart rate had skyrocketed but knowing it had to do with Neil. Mark did not say a work just handed the note to Ellison when the man approached his desk. "Shit!"

Blair read the note with Jim feeling his stomach lurch. "We need to find him."

Mark nodded slowly. The Detective's head suddenly snapped up his eyes on the entryway. Ellison and Sandburg followed his gaze to find three people entering the room. The man in the middle about Marks height and build scowled at the room before meeting Mark's blue eyes. The young black woman waited patiently if not nervously behind the first man to her right a second blond man stood. "Dad."

"Anything?" Chuck Taggart asked his oldest son. The boy looked worn down to less than nothing. Chuck knew without being told that his youngest son's situation had worsened considerably.

"Neil headed into the mountains outside of the city. Brackett left a message that he would not make it out unless Ellison or I joined him." Mark explained pulling his jacket from the hook on the wall. He let himself fall into the pattern of his life giving his father control of the situation so that he could focus on what needed to be done.

The last few years since his eighteenth birthday Mark had been trying to live up to the dreams of others and allow what he knew to be lost. Neil had never let his dreams or his soul get lost in other people's expectation; Mark realized he was slightly jealous of the young man's strength. This had been what Neil was trying to tell him before their mother died. Mark owed his brother for the hard earned lesson.

"Well then lets get moving. I do not want to deal with a sick kid on a seven hour flight to Texas." Chuck said as he turned and started toward the elevators. Mark followed with his father's companions not far behind.

Simon Banks and Megan Conner appeared behind Jim and Blair. "What is going on?" The tall Australian Conner asked. Conner had been assigned as Mark's partner and was starting to feel left out of the loop. She knew it was Sentinel related but was unsure of what she could do to help.

"Simon we need to go now. Call for back up on the way. Neil Taggart is somewhere in the mountains being hunted by Brackett." Jim said grabbing his and Blair's coats. He exited the bullpen with Sandburg, Conner and Banks. Simon had already had back up standing by waiting to be called in.

Jim and Blair convinced Mark to ride in the truck with them positive that Mark would be able to use the spirit guides to find Neil. "Mark you may be able to use your spirit guide to help you search."

"What are you talking about?" Mark asked feeling Neil was safe for the moment. "I am not sure how to contact a spirit guide. I can feel that Neil is safe. Though he is cold and a little off at the moment. Something else is hunting him."

"What do you mean something else?" Blair asked not liking the idea of having to deal with some animal as well as Brackett.

"I'm not sure. But the feeling is familiar." Mark said concentrating on his connection to Neil that he had always taken for granted. "This thing has had me on edge for months. Even before my Mom died I had this feeling. It's like something not human but not fully alive like breathing alive. Now I am just confusing you."

"No your not." Jim said remember the fleeting feeling. "I've had the same feeling. It was fleeting but it was there."

"We need to hurry." Blair said connecting the feeling from the Sentinels with his own feelings and dreams. The young shaman had seen shadow in his dreams that were not alive, but were. "Neil may not be in immediate danger but it is getting to close."

Mark sighed deeply watching the shadow of a bird that flew over them. He let his gaze lift to the darkened sky to see the Golden Eagle flying above the truck though it seemed to by listing to the left. Mark shivered when the Eagle dropped lower to the ground but did not take his eyes off the bird. The eagle started to change coarse Mark dropped his gaze long enough to advice "Turn left here."

Ellison did not question Mark but turned left on the next dirt road. Jim could hear the bird's wings flutter and the cries as it flew but no physical manifestation appeared to him. Blair watched Mark while he kept physical contact with his own Sentinel the dynamics between these two Sentinels had fascinated him for months. The last full Sentinel Jim and Blair had met had turned out to be insane. The young doctor concluded that the bond with the guide had an impact on the Sentinels mental as well as physical health.

The Eagle dropped altitude again landing on dead tree branch near the edge of the road. "Stop here." Mark said exiting the vehicle barely noticing the other car stop behind the truck. Mark followed the bird that had taken to the air again into the forest.

Chuck turned to Kurt saying, "Stay with them, find that bastard Brackett. Sarah and I will follow Mark."

Kurt nodded then turned to the other Sentinel. "Could you please provide me a shotgun or something similar? Don't worry I am quite proficient." Kurt said taking the offered weapon from the Sentinel's guide.

Banks ordered Conner to follow Mark with quick look before he followed Ellison. Sarah stopped the woman Conner from moving between Mark and Chuck. "I wouldn't."

"He needs help someone to support him." Conner said annoyed that she had to explain the role of a guide again to this woman.

"Right whatever. Do you have a shotgun or two?" Sarah asked not liking the idea of going into the wilds of Washington without a weapon.

"Yes why?" Megan asked her tone clearly indicating her dislike. She had found out on the drive up to the mountain that Sarah was a reported. She was positive that the woman could not be trust especially with the Sentinel secret.

"Get them I have a feeling we will need them." Sarah said. Megan quickly grabbed three shotguns from the truck of Simon's car and the two women ran into the forest to catch up with Mark and Chuck.

When they caught up Sarah took two shotguns from Megan and handed one to Chuck. Chuck gave her a questioning look. "We are still unclear about the whereabouts of your sister and two mysterious men in uniforms. I am not taking any chances."

Chuck laughed softly "That's my girl."

Mark focused solely on the Hawk did not hear the conversation behind him but did hear the faint heartbeat and breathing of his brother. Megan heard the two newcomers. She wondered what the hell was going on. 'Why do we need shotguns for Mark's Aunt?'

Neil woke with a start feeling an odd sensation at the back his mind and the fur on his face. The young man slowly rose to his feet upon hearing the tiger growling at the cave opening. He knew that something had set the tiger off and it was not human. The bushes crackled as the wind danced between the leaves. The hooting of an owl could be heard in the distance.

Two shadows fell over the cave floor blocking the light that violently filled the small space. "You are a very difficult young man to track." Davis Hamilton's voice echoed through the space.

"Not you again you do know what will happen to you when my Father gets his hands on you." Neil said boldly.

Hamilton laughed moving into the cave as if a giant black tiger was not standing between Neil and him. "You and your father are not of any concern to us. We are here looking for the one promised to us by Brackett. We are interested in this Sentinel."

"Are you now? Well I hate to break it to you but there is no such thing. We are simple organics." Neil said finally identifying the skin crawling feeling that crept through his mind. He had difficulty identifying the feeling when it first past through him months before now however it started to make sense.

Hamilton growled. "Who are you to try to stop us? We are the future."

"You destroy this planet. You and your sentients dissolve this planet into dust." Neil said allow his fear to fuel his anger.

"I do not know what you are talking about. We are standing on a whole living planet. We must have the knowledge of this Sentinel." Hamilton said waving the second figure forward. The creature stepped from the dark with a face that Neil had so recently seen mangled in the back of an SUV.

"Neal honey, please listen to Davis." The creature with Jenny Taggart's face begged stepping into the light.

"Jesus how many of her did you create?" Neil asked backing further into the cave.

"Give us the Sentinel, Neil." Jenny said stepping forward with the boy.

"Over my dead body." Chuck said from the shadows outside the cave. Neil noticed the tiger had disappeared just as the muzzle flash of a shotgun lit up outside the cave. Hamilton fell to the ground with a high-pitched squeal of pain.

"My god, are you insane?" Megan said rushing into the cave to check on the dead man.

Jenny turned to face the attackers. She found herself face to beak with a large bird. The Eagle quickly protected Mark by scratching at the things face. Sarah fired her shotgun at the façade Jenny when she saw the milky white substance forming over the wounds. Megan watched the creature fall in horror.

"Neil?" Mark said catching his younger brother before he fell to the ground. "Jesus, are you okay?"

Chuck joined his two boys a moment later. Neil smiled. "I warned him you would blow him away."

Chuck grinned. "Yeah so we heard."

Mark smiled to knowing that he would not be able to stay away from his young guide any longer. "You want to tell me what the hell is going on now?"

"Maybe after a long shower and lots of food. Do you have anything to eat I'm starving?" Neil said leaning into Mark's warm embrace. The young man said letting his mind dissolve into a small puddle. He knew he would be taken care of without question.

"That can be arranged after a trip to the hospital." Chuck said happy his son was safe and relatively unharmed.

"Ohhh come on I am fine." Neil said trying desperately to squirm out of Mark's now confining hold to prove that he did not need a hospital. Unfortunately his body would no longer communicate with the small functioning part of his brain.

Mark leaned down picking up his slippery brother. "How does a double cheese burger with fries?"

Neil stopped squirming his eyes filled with water. "You wouldn't tease me like that would you?"

Kurt could not believe how well Ellison tracked through the dark woods. The sentinel was better than a bloodhound. 'What I wouldn't give to have a Sentinel to track down the sentients?' Kurt let the thought pass briefly through his mind. He knew that he would not be able to use a friend like that unless that friend volunteered of course.

Jim let his senses go out to search knowing that Blair stood behind him with Simon and the man Kurt. He relaxed focusing more intently on his prey when he heard Mark reach Neil a mile away from his position. The youngest guide was back where he belonged he could focus on taking out the enemy. Jim dropped to his knees as the scream rent the night.

Blair was by Jim's side as he went down allow only seconds to pass before assisting the Sentinel back to his feet. Jim took off into the underbrush with Blair right behind him. Simon and Kurt tried their best to keep up with the Sentinel and Guide. Jim broke through the brush into a clearing near an old logging storehouse. The Sentinel stopped at the site of Brackett's cold dead eyes staring at him. The man's neck was obviously broken, as the head had been twisted until it faced the backside of the body.

"My god. Who the hell had strength enough to do that?" Simon said coming into the clearing with Kurt.

Kurt immediately brought the shotgun to his shoulder. The blond man started to scan the surrounding area. "Mark I hope you can here me we have a things loose. Please inform your Father to be prepared one of those things just killed our kidnapper."

Simon turned to face Mendel when he heard his comments to the other Sentinel. "What the hell are you talking about? You knew someone else was out here and did not inform us."

Kurt glanced at the tall black Captain's scowling face. "No we didn't but we never can be too careful. Brackett was working with someone else to get to Neil. We have no idea who they are yet."

Jim Ellison silently scanned the surrounding area with his senses. He had heard the things that had threatened the young guide but had not connected them to the feeling of danger until now. The feeling had never been Brackett the real threat had killed the kidnapped. A sound unusual to the forest caught the Sentinel's attention. Jim turned knocked Blair to the ground as the dart passed over their head's.

Kurt turned and fired the shotgun without thought or preparation. The Sentinel heard the wet popping sound as the bullet entered the soft flesh of the creature. The creature fell from the tree line at the forest edge into the clearing. "Nice shot." Chuck Taggart said entering the clearing behind Kurt.

"Thank you. I learned from a true Texas native." Kurt said moving to help the Sentinel and Guide to stand.

"Angela would be proud." Chuck commented lower his shotgun.

"Yes she would but I was referring to Neil." Kurt corrected without missing the smile on the young man's face.

"It is nice to know my work is appreciated." Neil added from his perch in Mark's arms. The young man had protested he could walk on his own but was quickly shushed by his Father and Brother. "Are we done? I was promised a double cheese burger."

Kurt grimaced. "You have your Father's taste in foods. Not to worry I will rectify that serious lapse quit soon."

"Oh Kurt please not unpronounceable foods please?" Neil said grounding his Sentinel out of habit rather than thought. Mark and Jim meticulously scanned the surroundings with their senses to confirm it was safe to leave. Both men nodded at the same moment leaving behind a tense atmosphere.

Three days late Neil found himself ensconced in a small diner booth on the edge of the Cascade Washington waterfront. Angela having flown in just after his rescue sat opposite him. Chuck and Mark surrounded him on either side with Sarah and Ellison on either side of Angela. Simon and Megan sat at one end of the table while Blair and Kurt occupied the other.

"So you are saying that these things are not human at all?" Megan said sickened by the thought of these grown in vats creatures running around the world in human form.

"No there is some human DNA it is what partly gives them human form. These creations are mostly machine. They are not organic in any way. We have found a few that live happily in the Internet world. Unfortunately there are many who have found a way out of cyberspace. Some want only to gain knowledge or so it would seem. Others seem to think that they are the better race." Kurt explained as best he could.

"How did you find out about these things?" Jim asked carefully monitoring the heartbeats at the table.

Chuck debated for a moment telling these people about the future of the planet and decided to only give them some of the story. "We discovered them on a failed mission. We barely made it out alive. NASA has been sending special projects into space for national defense. We think some of those projects have to do with the sentients."

"Wow these are some nasty things." Blair said slowly. "I have been feeling out of whack for a while. These creatures set off about every warning I have. There may be some that are good but the others are either bad or ignorant."

Neil let the conversation around him progress without his input. He knew the others could explain the sentients and the mission just fine without him. The young man glanced up feeling Mark's gaze on him smiling Neil munched happily on his burger. He was happy to have his living family with him. The rest could wait for another day.

END


End file.
